Between Heaven and Stormy Waters
by GemStoneLovely
Summary: Caroline Forbes works as a barmaid in her father's tavern in Port Royal, serving naval men, merchant sailors and...pirates, alike. Though she dreams of adventure her life has been uneventful so far, until she is kidnapped by a ruthless pirate captain. From that moment on Caroline is swept up in a dangerous war between pirate crews. AU/M-rating for violence
1. Chapter 1

***Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and OCs* **

**Thank you so much to my amazing betas heavens-spirit and . without whom this chapter wouldn't be out! And without Heavens-spirit it would be seriously lacking in details! And thank you to seriouslymilady on tumblr for the fantastic cover photo! So I hope you enjoy it and oh yeah, fair warning, it'll get hawt hawt hawt! ;) **

**CHAPTER 1**

_The King's Head Tavern,_Port Royal 1705

_The King's Head_was a small overcrowded tavern right on the harbour of Port Royal. It was small and dank, with white stone walls and large wooden beams. There were candles on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. It was one of those rooms where there just never seemed to be enough light, no matter how many candles and lanterns were lit. Still the place could not be beat for its atmosphere and drink. There was live music every night, usually sea shanties to match the clientele.

Everyone from everywhere came here when they were on land leave, from pirate crews to merchant sailors and naval men. The bar served the best beer and rum in the Caribbean – or so Bill Forbes, the owner boasted. Best beer and rum in the Caribbean or not, the girls who served it were lovely and the prices were rock bottom and because of that, _The King's Head_ never suffered for want of customers.

The owner's daughter, Caroline Forbes swerved to get through the sea of drunken patrons. She was a pretty young girl with curly blonde hair, blue eyes and a sweet smile. Her long light hair reached her waist when she let it down, which she knew drove the customer's wild. That was why tonight, like every other night, she wore it up. She had pulled it up in a high, tight bun for practical reasons. Though no matter how tight the bun, by the end of the evening her curls had inevitably begun to escape and frame her face as they did now, in an unruly and unintentionally charming manner. Her dress was of the palest yellow with a simple unadorned corset bodice and wide skirt. The sleeves were tight, reached her elbows and were adorned with large white ruffles which went past her elbow, nearing her wrists. It too was plain because, though she loved to tease and flirt, experience had taught her it was wise to be modest around the customers, otherwise things could easily get out of hand and her father would inevitably blame _her_ for _their_ behaviour.

There was a table at the back of the pub that needed its empty glasses cleared off. The table was not abandoned, indeed the men sitting there were going through so many glasses of ale and rum – well _pitchers_ was actually a more accurate description. Caroline needed to return to their table every half hour in order to ensure it did not become entirely overrun.

"Back for more already, are you, love? I knew you couldn't stay away from me!" one of the men called out to her. His name was Alaric Saltzman and Caroline knew him to be a lover of the ladies though how much they loved him back was questionable, even if he was a good looking man. She thought it was due to his drinking habits, but she knew him as her favorite harmless drunk. He might be a pirate, but Caroline knew he would never raise a hand against her. He had been coming to _The King's Head_for years and she could hardly match the profession to the man.

"Don't listen to him, Caroline. He's all mouth and nothing below the belt," Jeremy Pierce told her with a wink and a good-natured smile. "She's here for me, you old fool," he then said to Alaric with a smile.

"Bah, you wish! She doesn't want some young boy, like you! She wants a real man, don't you, love?" Alaric laughed and winked at her.

Caroline let out a peal of infectious laughter which spread to the men at the table. "I think you're both a pair of scoundrels!" she said before clearing off the table as quickly as she could. They were slammed tonight and she had no time to linger.

Jeremy was the younger brother of Katherine and Elena, twins and her best friends. Both Jeremy and Alaric were members of Tyler Lockwood's pirate crew. Tyler Lockwood had recently taken over the crew and she heard he earned his position through force after his uncle Mason Lockwood passed the previous year. He was only nineteen, two years older than her, but he already had a frightening reputation as captain of one the most savage pirate crews around.

Of course if asked, each and every member of his crew would swear to God, they were honest merchant sailors. Caroline knew better than to believe them. Honest merchant sailors did not possess the coin these men did and most sailors were better behaved than this lot. Though Tyler enjoyed dressing like a gentleman in silks and a wide brimmed hat, the rest of his crew did not. Besides everyone knew Port Royal had become a pirate haven in the past few years. Caroline knew pirates loved coming in here, nearly admitting to be pirates and spitting in the face of the law because they practically ran the town anyway, so there was no real danger.

The tales, or rather gossip, Caroline heard often involved corrupt government officials who allowed piracy to flourish in exchange for gold. Others turned a blind eye simply because they did not have the manpower to deal with the situation.

Sailors were notorious for spreading news and wild tales far and wide, and no sailor on land leave loved any audience as a pretty as a young girl. As Caroline fit this bill perfectly she was often far ahead of the rest of the town on news. That was how she knew about the government situation in Port Royal even though most remained blissfully ignorant. She was no lover of gossip, but she was not fool enough to forget the saying 'where there's smoke there's apt to be a fire'. How much truth was actually to be found in the rumours was questionable, but she suspected there was a grain of truth to them because after all, they were exaggerated.

Because of these rumours Caroline was quite certain that many of her patrons that used to be honest merchant sailors and naval men, were no longer these things. She was certain most of them had turned to piracy in the past couple of years and could hardly blame the merchant sailors and navy men who did. The pay was better as were the working conditions. She often heard the men who were _real_merchant sailors (there were fewer of those around than ever before), unlike Tyler Lockwood's crew, complaining about being beaten unnecessarily and having their wages stolen or receiving far less than they should.

Life aboard a naval vessel was hardly better. It was not only cramped, but the pay was hardly worth the peril – or so many of Caroline's patrons claimed. Most of those patrons she now suspected of being the very thing they used to hunt and despise. Or perhaps envy was the correct term.

The life of any sailor was a hard life and it bred hard men, something she had witnessed on many occasions when brawls inevitably broke out.

Whatever their story, Caroline loved listening to the tales and dreaming of one day seeing the world herself. The adventures she could have if she were not stuck in Port Royal in her father's pub! Caroline might be a barmaid like many other women in this town, but unlike them she did not dream of marrying to escape this life. What did she need a husband for? She earned her own wages. Neither did she need or want anyone else controlling her life. Her father was bad enough.

No, Caroline did not want marriage and children – at least not yet, perhaps never. What she wanted now was to go out and see the world for herself. The stories were wonderful, but how much better would it be if she starred in a few adventures of her own? She often thought of these adventures longingly, though far less frequently as she grew older as it seemed decreasingly likely of ever happening. Still though, she loved the stories of travellers. Realistically she knew they were the closest she would ever come to the genuine article.

Caroline passed the table that Captain Lockwood and some of his men inhabited. She smiled prettily as she passed because Captain Tyler was sinfully handsome. He had broad shoulders, tanned skin and a white, wolfish smile that made many hearts beat quicker. His eyes and hair were as dark as the night and though she would never admit it to anyone, Caroline was drawn to the aura of danger that surrounded him. He seemed the sort of man who could introduce her to adventures she had never even dreamed of, and pleasures as wicked as the Devil himself could dream up.

An arm wrapped itself around Caroline's waist and before she could react, she'd been pulled onto a man's lap!

"Sit down and take a break, I'd say you've earned it!" Captain Tyler smiled as he took the glasses from her and put them down.

Caroline was known for being a local beauty and so unsurprisingly this was hardly the first time something of this nature had occurred. She carried a knife strapped to her thigh for emergencies and if it had been anyone but Captain Tyler she would have used it by now. Instead she held off to see if she could not reason with him. She was relieved it was only him, as she did not think him likely to hurt her and was more reasonable than many of the men here, but he had gone too far! Adventures be damned, this wasn't proper!

To make matters worse his arm was still around her waist and he had begun caressing her hip. That was certainly far too brazen!

"Now you listen here –" she tried to get up, but his hand grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip, holding her in place. "I might be a simple barmaid, but you cannot treat me this way! I am not some back alley Sally!"

"Calm yourself, would you?" he ran his hand up and down her back in a 'soothing' gesture that only agitated Caroline further.

"I will calm myself when you let me up!" she pushed at him and he tightened his grip. "Ahh! You're hurting me!"

"I said; calm yourself. I need to speak with you, it's important."

"Then say it and let me go!" Caroline complained, but had done as he bid and relaxed her body as best she could under the circumstances. At least Tyler's hold on her had loosened and he started gently rubbing her sore wrist.

Every night this week Captain Tyler had been in and every night he had made advances. She had been pleased with his attention, but she had kept things decent. Now she was paying the price for her foolish and loose behaviour. This was downright scandalous! Thank Heavens that her father was off sick tonight because if he saw this, she would be in big trouble.

Caroline scanned the tavern for a saviour as discreetly as she could. It would not be Matt, the young barkeep, because he was preoccupied with teasing Elena, which meant Elena would not be coming to her rescue either.

Elena was Caroline's best friend and was a dark haired beauty. Bill Forbes only hired pretty girls to please his customers, and it was no wonder Matt was smitten. Her hair was dark, as were her eyes and her skin was olive coloured. Elena timid and gentle by nature, wore a dress of the palest powder pinks. It was modest and hardly adorned, but she wore it like a princess. Her straight hair was pulled half-up as high as it would go and she looked far too stylish to be a barmaid in _the King's Head_. Caroline shared the gift of making inexpensive clothes look expensive with both Pierce sisters, though that did her little good at the moment as she was trapped on Captain Tyler's lap.

Since they were busy it only left one person; Elena's identical twin sister, Katherine. To her dismay she realised Katherine would also not be coming to her aid. Katherine was in much the same situation as Caroline except with one crucial difference, she was _enjoying_ herself. She was sitting on the lap of a sailor Caroline had never seen before, arms about his neck, head thrown back and laughing freely. Her long chestnut coloured curls streamed down her back as she laughed. The only physical difference between Katherine and Elena was that Katherine had the most wonderful ringlets whereas Elena's hair was stick straight. Katherine stood in contrast to Caroline as well because the brunette never bothered to put her hair up. Instead she let it flow freely around her waist as she served the men, further enticing them. Not that they needed much more enticement than the burgundy dress she wore. Katherine was striking and enjoyed her line of work as she enjoyed her men, with alcohol.

Katherine also loved money. Sure enough as Caroline watched, Katherine laughed and the crafty brunette slipped her hand into the man's pocket. Discreetly she put his money pouch in a hidden pocket she had sewn into the folds of every dress she owned. Caroline would know because she'd been bullied into helping sew them. Caroline was also well aware Katherine stole from any customer who was drunk and easily distracted, so the sight came as no surprise. She was however, surprised by the ease which with Katherine _did_ the stealing. It was over in the blink of an eye and Katherine was still laughing.

Caroline loved Katherine dearly, but in her opinion she was the biggest strumpet in the Port Royal and now when she so desperately needed her help, she was entertaining a man _and_stealing from him!

_Dear Lord, I am on my own,_Caroline realised. The thought was frightening because at seventeen Caroline was still terrified of angering the patrons. Besides from Alaric and Jeremy most of the men who frequented _The King's Head_ were rough, dangerous men. Therefore she always thought it best to keep them happy. Tyler had been kind enough so far and he was most certainly handsome, but he was also a pirate captain. She did not think there were many acts he would shun in order to get what he wanted.

"What did you need to tell me?" Caroline said as pleasantly as she could.

"What I am about to tell you will probably shock you, but you need to listen. You and I are to be wed –"

"WHAT?" Caroline felt lightheaded.

Why hadn't her father spoken to her about this?

"I finally received permission from your father this morning and the wedding is to take place early tomorrow afternoon. You have nothing to fear, your life will for the most part remain the same," he flashed a pearly white smile, one so dazzling it vied with the golden, jewel encrusted cross on his chest for attention. "Other than that you will move into my house in town and you will, of course, quit working, and I expect you to keep the house proper while I am away. Not to mention to conduct yourself –"

Caroline never heard how he expected her to conduct herself because her head was spinning or, perhaps, it was the room. There was a ringing sound in her ears. She was reeling from shock.

She was engaged to a _pirate_.

The wedding would happen already _tomorrow_.

She felt faint, sick even and she felt too hot, and not in the fun way Katherine had so often described. The worst of all though was she could not _breathe._

"Excuse me, I think I need some air," she tried to stand, but once again Tyler had restrained her. "Please, I just need a moment to think – I can't breathe, it's all too much, too fast. All I need is a moment to myself."

"You _will_come back," he said forcefully. It was most definitely not a question.

"I'll be back, I promise. I just need some fresh air for a moment," and using her eyes she silently pleaded with him to understand.

It seemed he realised she was sincere, for he nodded.

"Five minutes."

Caroline nodded in return, miserable about the timeline, but relieved to have a moment to herself. She pushed through the crowd as quickly as she could. She caught Katherine's eye on her way out. Her distress must have shown on her face because Katherine waved to Elena and hurried to follow.

"Matt can always handle the bar alone for a few minutes, ma Cherie," Katherine said gently placing an arm on her shoulder and leading her outside. "Once Elena gets here you can tell us what is wrong and while she comforts you, I will go find the source of your pain and beat it," her smile was wicked.

Tears welled up in Caroline's eyes because at that moment she knew she would be eternally grateful to Katherine Pierce.

Caroline and Katherine stood on the empty cobblestone street right outside the pub. They turned their backs to the alley behind them, the dim, flickering rays of the gaslights giving them the creeps. There was another dark area to their right that was a smaller street where the lights must be burnt out, because like the alley, it was pitch black. An odd feeling of foreboding settled in Caroline's stomach. Something was wrong with this picture and not knowing what else to do she kept her eye on the area.

"What's wrong?" Elena all but yelled as she ran out of _The King's Head_.

In a choked voice Caroline told them all about the betrothal and the upcoming wedding.

"Are you certain he's not lying? Why else would he be the one to tell you and not your father?" Elena queried, the suspicion evident in her voice.

"Of course he's lying, Elena, ma belle soeur, he's a _man_," Katherine rolled her eyes. "But I did overhear your father speaking to my papa about it this morning. He's definitely lying about something, but it isn't this."

"_Why_didn't you tell me?" Caroline was unable to keep the tears at bay any longer and cried softly.

"Because I assumed as any sane person would, your father would be the one to tell you, cherie," Katherine's eyes hardened, contemplating how satisfying it would be to give her employer, Bill Forbes, a good telling off. Even better than a good scolding in English, a rapid tirade in haughty French would teach him.

"It's shameful he hasn't. It's his duty as your father," Elena murmured scandalized. Then she continued in a far more comforting tone of voice. "It isn't all bad. Jeremy says Tyler Lockwood is as good a man as a seafarer can be."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that," a young man said. He had a twinkle in his dark eyes and a mischievous smile. It appeared as if he had materialized from the shadows in the exact area Caroline had been watching. He was dressed in fine black breeches and a crisp, bright blue shirt. His jacket was long, black and Caroline could tell it was expensive. She could also see a sword tucked in the equally bright blue band around his waist, as well as a pistol on the other side. He was also wearing a large black feather hat and his shoes were polished so they shone in the gaslight from the streetlamps.

He was flanked by two other men. One with such a grave expression it sent chills down Caroline's back, and eyes as hard as flint that took in everything about them. He too was dressed finely, though in simpler colours, and appeared to be armed like the first man. The third was handsome with a noble air about him. He was dressed impeccably from head to toe in all black, and was also armed.

"Is it the Jeremy Pierce who sails under Tyler Lockwood you speak of? He's a friend of mine, you see," the one with the grave expression broke into a charming smile. His voice was soft, calm even and he struck Caroline as oddly trustworthy for a potential pirate.

Katherine was about to say; 'no' when Elena spoke first; "Yes, he's our brother and who might you be?"

"I'm Stefan Salvatore, miss," he nodded to the ladies. "This is Kol Mikaelson," he nodded to the mischievous looking one who had spoken earlier. "And this is Elijah Mikaelson," he indicated the noble looking one who had remained silent.

"And I think this is our lucky night," Kol said stepping closer to the girls.

Caroline had the unpleasant sensation of being prey stalked by a predator.

"Whoa!" Katherine raised her hands. "I wouldn't be getting any ideas if I were you, we're spoken for!"

"We know," his smile broadened. "We heard every word about little Miss Forbes's distressing engagement to Tyler Lockwood. And here we were only going to send him a message but instead three such important ladies land straight in our laps."

"Tyler will be out in a minute!" Caroline said, doing her best to sound as fearless as Katherine.

A strong man's hand came down over her mouth from behind as two other people snuck up behind the Pierce sisters and grabbed them.

"Don't you worry, darling, we'll be long gone by then," a sardonic voice whispered in her ear.

-O-O-O-O-O-

The girls had been carried off to the largest ship Caroline had ever seen, _Loreley_. Katherine and Caroline struggled the whole while even though they knew it was futile. Caroline could not reach her knife as the man was restraining her arms, but the cool kiss of steel against her inner thigh gave her comfort. Any man who tried to violate her would be in for a nasty surprise. Unfortunately they were currently outnumbered two to one, and it seemed Elena realised it as well for she cried the whole way to the ship and below deck.

When Caroline discovered they were about to be thrown into a prison cell she screamed and fought even harder against her captor. A man with wavy, dirty blonde hair had just thrown Katherine into the cell when Caroline's panic attack began. The man who was holding her shoved her away from him, roughly.

"Klaus, catch!" he had yelled just as she landed in the man with the dirty blonde hair arms.

"That's _Captain_Klaus to you, Damon," Klaus growled. It was as if his anger was rolling off him in waves.

"Sorry, _Captain_," the sardonic man named Damon mock-bowed and left the room.

Hearing a true wolf growl Klaus, let out after him. Caroline thought the man was wise to flee the room. She wished she could do the same as she was terrified of the captain. Worse yet, the rest of the crew took his anger as their cue to leave. As frightening as _their_fear was, it was nearly more frightening to see a blonde _woman_was among them. The woman only took the time to toss Elena in the cell with Katherine before she too ran from the room.

"Before you go, Stefan, lock up the sisters," Klaus barked the command.

Stefan hurried to obey and was even quicker to leave the room.

Once the crew members had gone Klaus's temper seemed to simmer down.

He took his sweet time appraising Caroline from head to toe with such blatant interest, she felt as if she were standing before him stark naked.

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing," his grin was wolfish and it revealed two dimples. Somehow it was wrong for a pirate Captain to have dimples; dimples belonged to sweet cherub faced little boys, not kidnappers. "I can see why Tyler Lockwood took a fancy to you, love."

When she didn't respond, he chuckled and dragged her toward a second door.

_Oh dear God, no!_

"Where are you taking me?" Caroline tried to escape as he pushed her through the doorway. Still he pulled her through as easily as he would a child throwing a tantrum. The door slammed shut with such finality it made her feel as if part of her died. "Please!" she cried out.

"Calm down. Has anyone ever told you, you're prone to hysterics?" Klaus released his hold on her arm.

She had calmed down enough to realise this second room housed a second prison cell which was only illuminated by the light of a single lantern. She was not being taken for his amusement. She was being put in her own cell, a dark, dismal prospect that did not appeal to her, but was still infinitely better than the images that had been playing out in her mind.

"Oh," relief washed over her. To hide her expression, she turned her back to him.

In an instant his arm went around her, locking her back to his front in an iron grip. Klaus's hand brushed her hair off her neck.

"I am only going to give this offer to you, do you understand?" his hot breath caressed her skin.

A tingle of desire coursed through her and her breath caught in her throat.

"Yes," her voice came out husky.

"Since you are frightened of cages, love, you can sleep in my bed – _with me_. But make no mistake, whatever your answer, I will have you eventually. You'd do well to accept now and save yourself a lot of pain."

Klaus was already shoving her into the cell. Whether he did it to frighten her into accepting or because he already knew her answer, she had no idea.

"No, No, NO!" out of fear she clung to his arm to stop him from forcing her inside.

Klaus pulled her to him again, this time she was facing him. She was pressed tightly enough against him she could feel every muscle in his body – a sensation which made her tremble. She looked into his penetrating blue eyes, seeing only cruelty and lust.

"So cages frighten you do they, sweetheart?"

Caroline could only nod. She knew he was toying with her and it was unnerving.

"Does that mean you accept my offer?" his fingers gently touched her cheek. He let them trail down her neck and paused to stroke the top of her chest.

"Stop!"

"I'll take that as a 'no' then."

"I cannot accept. You know I cannot. I'm an innocent and I would be ruined. Ruined and unable to return home."

"Sweetheart, you seem to be under the impression that I am ever going to let you go. A man would be mad to give up such a treasure," Klaus's eyes hardened and his hand came up to clench her chin.

She knew he meant everything he had said to her and tears filled in her eyes. He was never going to let her go and he was going to have her – sooner or later.

"If you'd only put me in with friends I wouldn't complain, please," Caroline was on the verge of letting her tears spill freely.

His expression changed. Was that compassion she saw in his eyes? Then it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"I'll let you stay with them tonight if you give me… a kiss." His eyes revealed no trace of humour.

"A _kiss_?" Caroline repeated stupidly.

**I apologise if Katherine's French isn't 100%, I'm not a native speaker and I haven't used it in almost a year. And neither is Katherine so any flaws we'll attribute to the fact that it's also her second language ;) Thanks to . for proofing my French with google translate aka being a super thorough beta! Let me know what you think! I'm super excited about this new project and I hope you all are as well! I'd apologise about the cliffhanger, but I'm evil so instead all I have to say is; mwhaha! Leave a review to complain about it or just to let me know what you thought of this chapter! ;) **

**Check out my tumblr: GemWritesThings for more on my writing etc. Link on my profile. **

**Take care guys! **

**Faye **


	2. Chapter 2

***Disclaimer; I own nothing except for the plot***

**First of all, wow, I am absolutely blown away by the response to the last chapter! I hope this one doesn't disappoint! ;) And I noticed lots of people commented on Caroline being a virgin, there are reasons for it though know, I really wasn't planning on it, it just works better with the backstory I have in mind for her.**

**Last but not least a huge thank you to my wonderful and dazzling betas Heavens-spirit and Lozipozivanillabean! You guys are truly amazing! :D **

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 2**

Caroline stood as if frozen.

He wanted a kiss in exchange for a more agreeable prison cell?

The nerve of the man!

In her anger Caroline was strong enough to pull away and her body, acting of its own accord; slapped Klaus. It was a good, hard slap and his head snapped to the side from the impact. Caroline gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She knew immediately she had made a terrible mistake for the evident fury in the captain's eyes was otherworldly.

He advanced upon her and Caroline fought the urge to flee. Roughly, he grabbed her arms and flung her onto the bench. Then he picked up a pair of rusted shackles from the floor. As she screamed and fought, he placed the cuffs about her wrists. She bit back a cry of pain; the shackles were too cold and too tight! Klaus had deliberately tightened them as much as possible, stopping only when he nearly cut off her blood circulation. She could tell by his precise movements, he knew exactly what he was doing. When he was finished, he tugged on them demonstratively to show she was chained to the wall.

Klaus crouched down before her and studied her terrified persona.

"You're lucky I don't hit women," he touched her lips with his thumb. Caroline tried to pull her head back but he held her chin in a crushing grip while he touched her as he pleased. "But if you ever do anything like that again, I'll make a special exception just for you, sweetheart."

A shiver ran down Caroline's spine at his threat. Klaus left.

**KLAUS'S POV:**

Klaus inclined his head in a mocking greeting as he passed by to the dark haired girls in the first prison cell when he passed them. The one with the curls shot him a look of pure fury which made him chuckle darkly, while the second girl, the one with the straight hair, cowered behind her twin.

Having grown up with such a fierce sister as Rebekah, Klaus had always held timid women in contempt. Therefore he had been pleasantly surprised by how spirited Tyler Lockwood's pet was. He had intended to bed her no matter what she was like, simply to anger the Lockwood pup, but now that he had met her, he found the prospect of bedding her all the more alluring. Though if she ever dared hit him again, he'd make good on his promise, he was a man of his word; all the promises he had made her, he intended to keep.

Promises and threats were the same thing in Klaus's mind.

"We're ready to leave port," Elijah's voice greeted him as soon as he came on deck. "All we need is a heading, Captain."

His elder brother was in the habit of referring to him as 'Captain' in a wryly affectionate way. However, to an outsider who was unfamiliar with his straight-faced brand of teasing, would take it as a genuine token of respect and not the jest it was intended as.

"We're going to Nassau, brother. We have two bits of cargo that need to be unloaded," Klaus said with a smirk.

"I see," Elijah said in a pensive tone before going to locate Kol.

Kol was the youngest of Klaus's siblings and he loved few things more than shouting out Captain's orders, insulting the crew as he did. Sure enough, Klaus soon heard his voice booming out the course, quickly followed by a threat.

"Set sail for Nassau and a whippin' awaits any dog who isn't quick about it!"

A smile graced Klaus's lips at the obvious glee in Kol's voice.

On most pirate ships, such punishments were rare and only given with just cause. The captain was only the Captain as long as the crew was satisfied, but aboard the _Loreley,_a different sort of a man reigned. Woe behold anyone who signed on with the Mikaelson's and disobeyed - not that many dared. To go against Klaus or one of his siblings was the same as jumping ship and willingly going to Davy Jones's locker. Ask any pirate in the Caribbean and they'd tell you it was so. As a result, Klaus was one of only two pirate Captains who did not live in fear of a mutiny. And yet men continued to sign on because Klaus has a gift for plundering, anywhere he went bounty was certain to be found and any man who followed him would share in it.

"That whelp, Tyler Lockwood will be after us soon," Stefan joined him by the rudder.

"I hope so."

Klaus noted how even though they were speaking, Stefan's eyes did not once waver from Rebekah, who was climbing the crow's nest. The Ripper's gaze really only did stray from his beloved while he was killing. When it came to torture and death, Stefan was one of the greats, and Klaus; his greatest admirer.

"And if he acquires a ship fast enough to catch us, then what?" Stefan shifted nearly imperceptibly to better see Rebekah's golden tresses.

"Then we take him on at open sea and he can die along with the rest of his crew."

**KATHERINE'S POV:**

The smirking pirate captain angered Katherine Pierce almost as much as he terrified her sister. When he had so arrogantly sauntered passed them she'd had a hard time deciding who she would rather hit; the captain for smirking or Elena for cowering. Though she knew she would do neither; hitting the captain would be the worst thing she could do.

Katherine was no fool. She knew to survive they would have to be calm, brave and charming. One thing she had learned working at the pub, was that an inviting smile and a cunning mind would get you a lot further than cowering and tears. Now if only she could convince Elena that all the tears in the world could not save them.

"Do you think he – _violated, _Caroline?" Elena whispered the word 'violated', tears shining in her eyes.

Katherine had to restrain herself not to not let her annoyance show.

"He wasn't gone long enough for that. Probably roughed her up a bit, but he'll be back and so will the others, sister. And when they do come, don't give them cause to harm you more," Katherine tasted bile at the back of her throat.

"Surely they won't –"

"Surely they will."

At the harshness in her voice, Elena broke down into noisy, hysterical sobs. Katherine rushed to her and clamped a hand over her mouth.

There was a loud, pounding sound coming from the room where the captain had taken Caroline. Earlier it had been shouts, Katherine had closed her eyes and willed Caroline to be strong. Now there was this banging, who else was in there other than her friend?

"Katherine make her stop!" came Caroline's angry voice, who seemed to have guessed which twin was the source of the racket. "The captain has a terrible temper and he doesn't appreciate hysterics, Elena. You don't want him to hear you!"

The fierceness of Caroline's statement brought a smile to Katherine's lips. At least two of them remained unbroken.

Not knowing what else to do, she slapped Elena once, which turned her sobs into silent whimpers. Elena clutched her cheek and peered up at her from under tear soaked lashes. In her distress, she had literally collapsed onto the floor. Her pink dress was spread out around her like a flower, and Elena was the perfect picture of a damsel in distress as she kneeled on the floor, eyes filled with tears and long hair fanned out behind her and onto the skirt of her dress. Katherine hoped the captain or someone high ranking would take a fancy to her sister and keep her safe – or as safe as any kidnapped woman could be aboard a pirate ship.

"I'm sorry, but you listen to me; you can fall apart all you like once we are home, but for now you stay strong and follow my lead," Elena stared uncomprehending back at her. "Do you understand?" Katherine shook her sister's shoulders.

"Yes," Elena answered after a long while.

Katherine ceased shaking her.

"What happened?" Katherine pressed her body close to the wall she did not want to continue shouting.

With her ear against the wall, Katherine could hear Caroline shifting and the rattling of –_chains_.

**CAROLINE'S POV:**

Caroline told Katherine everything that had transpired between her and captain Klaus, talking as loud as she thought wise.

"He chained you up?" Katherine said, enraged.

Caroline could easily call forth the image of her friend scheming. This time it most certainly revolved around the best way to punish the captain.

"That's not the worst of it," Caroline said.

"Ah oui, the deal," Katherine's voice now held a calculating quality to it. "If you want my advice, take him up on his offer."

"Katherine, no!" Elena's shrill voice joined the conversation. She must have been snapped out of her state of shock. "Caroline, no! I beg of you not to consider this! It's a sin to lay down with a man you are not wed to!"

"Oh, hush now!" Katherine's tone was commanding. "It's the best offer you'll get and it's better than him and the rest of the crew taking you by force –"

"No, it's not! At least then she would have her honour intact –"

"Trust me, it's better," Caroline knew exactly the look of disdain Katherine would be giving Elena at this moment. "And if you were to warm the captain's bed, you would be safe from the other men!" Katherine pressed on. "You'd be a fool not to at least consider it!"

"Think of what you are telling me to do, I'd be ruined!" Caroline shoved aside all thoughts of Klaus's warning. Though try as she might, she knew he would never let her go, if only out of spite.

"You'll be ruined one way or another soon enough," Katherine continued in an insistent voice. "Just keep that in mind. I know it's hard to hear, I'm saying this for your own good. And laying down with a man out of necessity is not as difficult as you might imagine – especially one as good looking as the captain."

Caroline felt sick hearing Katherine's words. She wondered what sort of experience her friend was speaking from this time and why she had not heard of it. Katherine was clever and she'd use whatever means she had available to get what she wanted. Had she used her body in that same way?  
Could Caroline?

And another far more disturbing thought she did not want to ponder; was she as against Klaus's proposition as she had pretended? Deep, deep down? She didn't think so, she had after all been warmed by his touch… what did that mean? Was she an easy woman -

No, she would allow no such thoughts to take root. She could resist him, _would_resist him.

Caroline Forbes did not go down without a fight, and Klaus would discover that soon enough.

-O-O-O-O-

Caroline woke to the sound of a door opening and closing. She was chilled from having slept in nothing more than her dress and her wrists ached worse than ever. Her throat was raspy from thirst and her hair had almost entirely fallen out of the tight bun. Caroline ran her fingers through it and began to ball it into a bun at the nape of her neck instead.

How long had she been asleep?

The person who had woken her was the female pirate. Her hair was long and blonde, much like Caroline's own hair, except this girl's was straight. It was braided carelessly and the braid was swinging low on her back. On the top of her head the woman wore a piece of black cloth to shield her head from the sun. From her ears dangled large, golden hoops. Caroline thought these pirates must do quite well for the woman to own such expensive pieces of jewellery, because in addition to the gold hoops, around her neck hung several rows of thin golden chains. The rest of her outfit also spoke of money. Her black boots reached her knees and were made of fine, supple leather. Her jacket and tight-bodice shirt were made of brown fabric, with a tight leather belt around her waist. In that belt the woman had crammed everything from a pistol to a hatchet. Her pants were wide and black. Caroline had never before heard of female pirates, but this woman was dressed more like a man than a woman, so perhaps she did not entirely count as a female. Yet she was not entirely dressed in a man's attire either and she still retained a sensual, worldly sort of attractiveness. It was an odd combination that left Caroline feeling a bit confused, she'd never seen anything quite like this woman.

"What time is it?" Caroline croaked.

"About noon," the pirate responded in a snide voice.

"Oh," she must have slept for almost eight hours, something that amazed her given the situation and the temperature of the cell. "I'm Caroline."

Caroline had made a stab at conversation because she thought the woman must be kinder than the rest of the crew.

She thought wrong.

"I know who you are," the woman rolled her eyes as she unlocked the door to her cell. "And I'm not here to chat so hold your tongue or I'll cut it out."

Caroline cast her eyes down to hide her shame. She had been an idiot to believe the girl would be friendlier. A female pirate would probably have to be twice as hard as any man just to survive.

The girl plunked a bowl filled with various meats and vegetables down next to her. It looked almost like soup, though not half so appetizing. She also put down a small tankard of _water_. Glorious water, to quench her thirst!

Caroline eagerly took a sip only to spit the concoction out immediately. It wasn't water and whatever it was, it tasted foul.

The other girl burst into laughter. "Not what you expected?" she asked between laughs, gasping for breath. But she did not sound as unkind as she had only a minute ago.

Caroline too felt the need to laugh a little at her own reaction. "What is that?"

"It's called bombo. It's made out of water, sugar, nutmeg and rum. It seems my brother wants you fed on more than the usual prisoner's diet," the frost was back in her voice.

Caroline's stomach churned in response to her words. She didn't want to know what any of these pirates wanted with her – _she_wanted them to leave her alone.

"Your brother is Klaus?"

"CAPTAIN," the woman snapped. "Show some respect. And yes, he is my brother. What else would I be doing aboard a God forsaken pirate ship?"

Caroline thought it prudent to avoid answering what else she thought the woman might be doing here. Somehow she did not think the pirate would like her answer. Instead she eyed the bowl uncertainly. She was hungry, but there was no fork or even a spoon.

"I wonder why he wants you well fed," the woman said with a knowing smirk which made it clear it wasn't really a question. Caroline got the impression she enjoyed tormenting her. "There are no utensils here. This is, in case you haven't noticed, a pirate ship."

Caroline recognised a challenge when she heard one. A challenge never failed to bring out the fight in her, she dug in with her bare hands. She ate every last bite and licked her fingers afterwards, enjoying her wickedness. Then she downed the whole cup of bombo, staring defiantly at the pirate woman as she did.

Once she was done, Caroline had the feeling she had passed some sort of test.

The woman sniffed, cleared up the things and locked Caroline's cell door behind her.

"Name's Rebekah."

Caroline was left alone again then, but she had the feeling she had indeed passed some sort of test. And earned a little respect from Rebekah as she did so.

Caroline waited and listened for the sound of Rebekah leaving the prisoners entirely alone. She might yet be in with the twins and she did not think Klaus would permit her to reside in this cell if he knew she was still able to communicate with Katherine and Elena. Caroline was not naïve enough to think Rebekah would not report everything back to him. Just as she knew the purpose of this solitary cell was to break her. His goal must be to drive her to such extreme loneliness she accepted his offer. She grinned because there was one crucial flaw in his otherwise good plan; he had not forbidden his crew from speaking to her. As long as that was the case, she would never become so desperate she'd accept.

"She's gone," Katherine knocked on the wall and whispered. "We're getting bread and water, I do hope they are feeding you better, ma cherie. La pain est terrible!" she complained haughtily in French about the bread.

Katherine thought French very worldly and fashionable, she went to great lengths to use at least a little in every conversation. Her ability to speak French was a skill many patrons found alluring.

Caroline however, had no time to dwell on her friend's 'continental' ways. How could she when she had such a powerful feeling of guilt overwhelming her? They were being given nothing but bread and water, while she received a real meal because the captain wished to bed her. It was not fair and it would not do. She would have to find a way to help them.

She thought on it for a moment until the solution presented itself.

It was simple; she would demand to speak with the captain and if that failed, she would refuse to eat until someone went to get him. She did not think he would want a half-starved skeleton in his bed, it would no doubt not take more than a day before he came to speak with her and when he did, she would negotiate with him.

Yes, it would take less than a day.

-O-O-O-O-

Four skipped meals and a day later and the captain had still not come to see her.

Twice the previous day a different crew member had brought Caroline food and each time she had refused to eat unless she could speak with the captain. Each crew member had shifted uncomfortably and told her the same thing. Every crew member she had spoken to from Rebekah to Damon, told her the captain would not be summoned. If he wished to speak with her, he would come, if not, she was to keep quiet. If she insisted on starving herself in a futile attempt to get his attention, that was her choice, but it would make no difference.

It was nearly dinner time and Caroline feared that if the captain did not come to see her soon, she would be the one to submit. She did not think that would set the right precedent. So even though she was completely drained of energy from hunger and thirst, as well as near frozen from having slept only in her dress a second night in a row, she vowed to hang in there at least until breakfast.

Caroline clutched her stomach. Each meal had been harder to pass up than the last, and if she were honest; she was amazed by her own willpower. Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but she needed to do something to help her friends. She wasn't the sort who could sit idly by while others suffered as long as she was comfortable.

The door opened and closed, Caroline anticipated the tempting smell of food, but saw something even better, Klaus. He had finally come.

"Hello, love. How's the strike coming along?" he smirked as he unlocked the cell door. He locked it behind himself again then came to sit next to her on the bench.

Caroline sat up and inched as far away from him as possible, refusing to show the pain she was in.

"What are Elena and Katherine eating?"

"Probably much the same as you," Klaus replied evenly. "I don't concern myself with what the prisoners eat."

"Don't lie to me, I'm too smart to fall for it."

"What does it matter? We're dropping them off in Nassau, they'll survive a couple of weeks of poor fare, wouldn't you agree?"

"No," Caroline tilted her head to the side and studied him. She had seen Katherine do it to intimidate customers, she only hoped she could manage the look half so well.

"There are a lot more…_pleasant_ways to get what you want from me, and I promise you, they'd be a lot more effective than a hunger strike," his hand cupped her neck. He stroked it lower, flattening his palm against her collarbone and his thumb circled the hollow in her throat. "Your friends would eat as well as any of the crew and I'd give you pleasure, if you come willingly."

"I've already told you; I can't."

"Yes, your precious virtue. Tell me, is your virtue keeping you warm?" Klaus's fingers touched her lips which were blue from cold. "Answer me; does your virtue keep you warm?" he demanded when she did not respond.

"No," Caroline admitted.

"Would you like me to warm you?" his voice was heated and full of sinful temptation.

But if there was one thing Caroline had learned growing up with a father like hers, it was the importance of resisting temptation.

"The answer is still no, but I could – we all could be useful in other ways. We can sew, cook, clean and I can balance books –" she had more on her list, but Klaus did not allow her to finish.

"That's not the sort of use I had in mind," Klaus smiled innocently. "But I do believe you owe me a kiss, so I'll be generous; a kiss in exchange for better meals for your friends. What do you say, sweetheart?"

"I say no, my virtue gives me self-respect if not warmth and _that _is one thing I cannot afford to lose," Caroline barely managed to breathe the words out, she was enthralled by her own daring. Defying a man like Klaus was a reckless and heedless thing to do.

"I see," Klaus's face contorted with barely contained anger. "I told you I would have you and I will. Now tell me, is your self-respect worth the safety of your friends? You will give me that kiss or I will give your friends over to my men. The haughty one might last a week, but the other one, the scared one, she won't even last the night."

"You can't!"

"I can and I will. Unless you save them," he smirked.

Caroline knew he had her and worse, _he_knew it. She should never have caused trouble. Now she would have to kiss the scoundrel or he would put Katherine and Elena in harm's way.

She could not allow that to happen.

"I – Iii – I consent to – kissing you," Caroline whispered, unable to meet his eye, not because she was frightened, but because she was ashamed. Ashamed of the butterflies in her stomach and how she grew heated at the prospect of tasting those sensual lips.

**Leave a review my lovelies and thank you for waiting ever so patiently! Though PMs etc. for more do light a fire under me and encourage me to write faster, as do reviews because they remind me that there are people waiting for the next instalment!**

**Again, thank you to all my reviewers, even those I can't reach guests and those I just haven't had a chance to reply to, though I do try to reply to everyone because it means a lot to me! :D**

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**Take care guys!**

**Faye**


	3. Chapter 3

***Disclaimer: I own nothing except plot* **

**Hello again my lovely readers! I apologise for the wait, but my beta is on hiatus and I've got exams coming up so I just haven't had any time to write. I've added a little Klaroline spice just for all your patience and I hope I haven't lost any readers during the wait! Warning the M-rating kicks in here and this hasn't been betaed, so please be kind! I didn't want to leave you waiting any longer so here it is! **

**CHAPTER 3**

After Caroline had given her consent to kiss Klaus, she briefly thought of stabbing him. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that one kiss was hardly worth what the crew would do to her in return.

Klaus leaned in, close enough she could feel his breath on her face. She stopped breathing in response. Just as he was about to close the distance, the door opened, interrupting them.

Klaus turned his head to glower at the intruder. Caroline scooted further away from him.

"There's a large passenger ship on the horizon, captain," Elijah said. His expression did not betray in the slightest what he thought about the scene he had just walked in on.

"Is Rebekah still refusing to wear a dress?"

Caroline wanted to know what on earth Rebekah and her opinion on dresses had to do with a passenger ship.

"Yes, she won't leave Stefan's side to change out of it and we'll need a Trojan horse if we want this to go smoothly," the firmness in Elijah's voice told Caroline he really wanted things to go smoothly.

"Well sweetheart, I believe your wish to be useful in another capacity just came true," Klaus's smirk was somehow even more sinister this time.

Caroline had absolutely no desire to be their Trojan horse (not that she knew what that entailed), but she didn't think she had a choice.

"Go get the crew into position, we'll meet you upstairs," Klaus ordered.

Caroline shivered from the cold. In the few heartbeats Klaus had been sitting near her, she'd begun to warm up and now the cold seemed even worse than before.

Klaus unlocked her handcuffs. While she massaged her bruised wrists, he surprised her by shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. Startled, she stared at him, wondering at the sudden change of tactics.

"Time to go. No time to be lost, love. Ships to be plundered and all."

When Caroline stood up she realised she was dizzy. She swayed, spots danced before her eyes as her body threatened to faint. Klaus caught her easily enough before she could actually fall or faint. Then with an arm around her waist, he led her out. She wished she could have eaten before being forced to walk.

As soon as she saw Katherine and Elena in the next room, all traces of light headedness magically disappeared. Caroline tore away from Klaus, running to them.

"CAROLINE!" both girls shouted as one and ran to the bars.

She twined her fingers through the bars, clutching one hand of each girl.

"It's so good to see you!" she squeezed their hands tighter.

"Ma belle, Caroline," Katherine traced the bags beneath her eyes with her free hand and tenderly touched her pale cheeks. "What did you do to her?" she flew into a rage without warning. Rattling the cage in a futile attempt to reach Klaus, she screamed; "I'll KILL you for hurting her!"

"Katherine, no!" Caroline tried to appease her.

"Her current state is entirely her own doing," Klaus replied calmly. "However, we do have somewhere else to be," he picked up Caroline.

She screamed and fought as he threw her over his shoulder. By the time Klaus was carrying her above deck, Caroline was feeling a bit calmer. Fatigue and hunger must be causing her madness. For why else would she act like such a wildcat all because she was being separated from her friends? They'd spent the last couple of days apart, surely they would survive a few moments more.

Once above deck, Klaus put her down.

"How does one play the role of 'Trojan horse'?" Caroline asked, mustering what was left of her dignity.

"You walk on deck with me and the presence of a _serene _lady will help give the illusion we are an ordinary passenger ship," Klaus replied, surveying her with unabashed interest.

"And if the lady is not 'serene'?" Caroline challenged.

"Then she is stabbed and thrown overboard," he shrugged to illustrate how little such an act would matter to him. "And in spite of Elijah's wishes, things do not go smoothly, but we take the ship all the same."

The coolness in his eyes told Caroline it was best to obey as she didn't fancy for the sake of a crew and passengers whose fate had already been decided. If anything, she wanted their ship to be taken with as little bloodshed as possible because it was their best chance at survival.

"I'll escort you to the bow of the ship," he held out the nook of his elbow.

Caroline knew his 'polite' words were nothing more than mockery. So, chafing at his condescension, she tossed her head. Irritation and defiance radiating from her form, she marched toward the bow without his 'kind' assistance. Klaus quickly caught up with her and placed a hand on her lower back. As if that were not brazen enough in itself, he stroked her lower back, dipping ever lower, almost touching her bum. They reached their destination and Caroline's temper finally got the better of her simply because they ran out of steps to take.

Tearing away from him she exclaimed; "That is quite enough! I am aware I am your prisoner and therefore at your mercy, but that does not give you the right to take such liberties!"

"_If_ –" Klaus pulled her close. Caroline once again found herself in the not-entirely objectional position of having her body pinned against Klaus, his arm a vice against her back. "You are as you say; 'at my mercy' it would be prudent of you to _please me,_" his eyes were lit with fire.

"You might not be a gentleman, but I –"

"You're right I am no gentleman," Klaus smirked. As if to illustrate his point, she felt the hardness of his erection pressing against her stomach. "Where is the fun in being a gentleman?"

Ignoring him, Caroline pressed on stubbornly; "_But –" _she sent him a withering look. "_I _am still a lady."

"You walked away without an escort when one was offered to you and consented to kiss a pirate captain. You are no more a lady than I am a gentleman, sweetheart."

About to panic, Caroline latched on to the safest topic she could think of. "You're very well-spoken for a pirate. Were you educated in England?"

Klaus did not answer, instead he slid both hands to her waist and up her side, till they came to rest on her ribcage. They rested near the bottoms of her breasts. Caroline stopped breathing. His hands continued their journey upward and when they grazed over her breasts, she bit her lip to stifle a soft moan. She knew she should protest, knew it was the ladylike thing to do and yet she did not. Klaus's hands were now at her shoulders and he was taking her jacket off!

The scoundrel had only been teasing her!

"We want the ship to know you're a proper woman in a proper dress, don't we? Or what other purpose could you possible serve?" Klaus said as he put his jacket back on. "Ah, but is that disappointment I see in your eyes?" he touched her lips. "See you are no more a lady than I am a gentleman," there was victory in his voice.

"You bastard!" Caroline furiously whispered the worst curse-word she knew. "You intimidate and debase a woman then you taunt her? Don't you have any moral scruples?" rage was spurring her on though she did not yell or strike him as she wanted to. She had not yet lost such control she forgot how dangerous Klaus was.

"I have very few left, but not so few that I will allow you above deck while we are boarded," Klaus grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back the way they had come.

"Boarded?"

Craning her neck, Caroline saw the ship was coming on quickly and was now close enough she could make out the colours of the flag.

"TO YOUR STATIONS!" he shouted as they went below deck.

Caroline had just enough time to see pirates coming out of hiding from hidden compartments, hiding spots and the captain's quarters before she was pulled below deck.

_Dear God, had any of them seen or heard anything that had taken place at the bow? _Shame burned through her body at the very notion.

Klaus whirled her around to face him. There was heat in his eyes. Instinct made her back away because something distinctly predatory had come into his eyes. When he followed her, he moved like a wolf stalking its prey. She hit a wooden beam and he closed in.

"Looks like we didn't need you after all, which means; you still owe me a kiss," his hands tangled into her hair.

"Then what was I doing on deck?" Caroline demanded. "I did my part and I do not owe you a kiss! Don't you try to scam me!"

"No need to scam you. There was an unforeseen turn of events, but my price remains the same. One kiss and your friends will eat as well as the crew," Klaus was tracing the lines of her lips. "You already gave your consent. If you break your word, I'll be…_upset_," a harshness had come into his voice, making it clear it was a threat.

Not for the first time did Caroline consider stabbing him, but then what would his crew do to her? And it w_as _onlya kiss.

So what harm could one kiss really do? With this thought came conviction and Caroline pressed her lips against his.

"Good girl," Klaus whispered against her lips.

Klaus licked her lips. She gasped in surprise and taking advantage he slipped his tongue between her parted lips. She held completely still, all of her courage had fled as Klaus moved his lips against hers. He pushed her body harder against the beam in frustration and held her even tighter when she still did not respond.

"Come now, love, surely you can do better than that," Klaus stroked her breasts as he whispered. To Caroline's ears it was more a growl than a whisper. "And don't even think about biting me," he said before she could do just that.

Tentatively Caroline began to kiss him back. Warming under his touch, Caroline pushed her body closer to his and when he sucked on her lower lip, she moaned.

"That's my girl," Klaus said in approval as he kissed his way down her throat.

"Oh no, you mustn't!" Caroline tried to push him away when he kissed the top of her breasts, but then his teeth grazed her skin and she moaned again.

Klaus chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, sweetheart."

His hands roamed down her back and squeezed her bum.

"Oh!" Caroline gasped in surprise. "The deal was one kiss! That's enough!" she had realised the situation was getting out of hand.

"But we're having such fun," Klaus pulled at her skirt.

"Stop it!" she tried to push his hands away, unsurprisingly, Klaus didn't let her.

"Come now, love don't be difficult."

Her skirt was now up to her knees and she was beginning to panic. If he didn't stop, he'd find the knife.

The knife!

"Let me do it," Caroline brushed his hands aside and began to lift the skirt that had dropped. Flashing her most attractive smile, she slowly began to lift it.

Klaus marvelled at her change in behaviour.

"Now _this _is a pleasant surprise. What's gotten into you?"

"I'm frightened," she fixed an embarrassed smile on her face. "So if we must do this, at least let me allow to me keep my dignity."

"By all means, continue," Klaus gestured for her to carry on with a smug smirk.

Slowly and trying to appear nervous, Caroline raised her skirts. When it was just above knee-height, she slid a hand underneath them and gripped the knife shaft. She needed to take a breath before whipping it out and slashing after Klaus, who jumped back gracefully.

"BACK OFF!"

Safely out of range of her knife, Klaus threw his head back and laughed. Genuinely laughed.

At her.

How _dare _he?

"That's an awfully big knife for a little girl. Take care you don't cut yourself," Klaus had stopped laughing, but he was still smiling.

"The only one I am going to cut is you!" she said fiercely, anger at his mockery bubbling in her, giving her strength.

At her response, Klaus laughed harder than before.

"Clever girl, saving the knife for an emergency," he smirked. "Well sweetheart, I'll leave you here with it. It sounds as if I'm needed elsewhere," he cocked his head in an exaggerated display of listening to the fighting.

Earlier it had not registered with her, but the sounds of fighting could clearly be heard right above deck. There were shouts, thuds, clanks of steel meeting steel, and even the occasional gunshot going off. Caroline did not know how such things were supposed to sound, however, she thought for a merchant or passenger ship, they were putting up a great deal of resistance.

She glanced back at Klaus. He was still smirking at her.

"I'll kill you," the words escaped her without conscious thought. It was easier to be angry with him than be angry with herself for wanting him.

"We'll find out when I come for you after the battle, sweetheart," Klaus too made a vow.

**ELIJAH'S POV: **

Elijah felt certain he should have known tonight would not go smoothly. Yet he had hoped it might when Miss Caroline agreed to help.

Then they'd been boarded by the other pirate crew.

It had been stupid really. Elijah and Kol had been fooled by the same ruse they used, and it seemed the same could be said for the other ship. Both crews had anticipated a passenger ship. Planned on easy pickings, some gold and jewellery and food.

Instead, the ship had sped up and _the Loreley _had been boarded. Of course their men had managed to get aboard the other ship as well. It was Elijah's only comfort that the other ship had received an equally unwelcome surprise.

_A small comfort to be sure, but oddly satisfying, _he thought as he drew his pistol and fired a singly shot at the man who had locked blades with Kol.

"You rob me of my fun, brother!" Kol complained even as he stabbed a man attempting to climb the Crow's Nest.

Rebekah was stationed up there with a rifle. She loved a good brawl dearly, but when she realised they were dealing with pirates, she'd dutifully made the climb. It might be more amusing to throw punches and stab fully grown men – or so she claimed. Elijah knew better, she simply wanted to stay by Stefan's side to ensure he survived the fight, but she knew they'd more use for her shooting skills this time. Rebekah was their best sharp shooter and against such a large pirate crew they couldn't spare her.

"I believe there is still plenty of 'fun' to be had!" Elijah called back.

He blocked a thrust from a dark sailor, who had come out of nowhere. Then he pulled out a knife, still holding the man's sword at bay and stabbed the man in the gut, all in one fluid inhumanly swift motion.

Out of the corner of his eye, Elijah saw Klaus emergence from below deck.

_And about time too! _

**KLAUS'S POV: **

Klaus was in the thick of the fighting when he heard it. The sound of a woman screaming and it was coming from below deck. Someone was about to hurt _his _prisoners, most likely _his _little blonde nuisance. Unthinking, he tore off in the direction of the screams.

**CAROLINE'S POV: **

Caroline was distressed by the fighting, but not half so much as she was by the thought of what would happen when Klaus came back for her.

Because he _would _be back. There was no doubt in her mind on that count. She imagined him as something as unkillable as the Devil, likewise neither could she imagine anyone capable of defeating Klaus's crew for if he was the Devil, then they were his demons from hell. The ones she had seen had all been too confident, had moved with deadly grace, even the woman, Rebekah was fearsome. All of which meant she did not have a lot of time to act and would need to do it right this minute.

Terror spurring her on, Caroline rushed to the room where Katherine and Elena were being held.

"Caroline!" Elena cried.

"What's happening?" Katherine demanded.

"They boarded a ship," Caroline responded absent-mindedly. She was busy scanning the room for keys.

_There! _

They were hanging from a hook on a beam, a little below the room's one lantern.

"Sounds more like we're the ones who have been boarded," Katherine muttered. Caroline had taken the keys and was trying different ones on their cells. "But I notice _you're_ not locked up. Caroline, you sly girl!" coming from Katherine, this was the height of compliments.

Caroline refused to answer that. It might have only been a few kisses, but she was still ashamed.

_Click!_

The cell door opened.

"Honesty, Katherine, this is not the time!" Elena chastised. "Besides, Caroline would never do such a vile thing, isn't that right?" she looked to the blonde girl for confirmation.

Also _this_, Caroline refused to answer.

"We need to go!" she said instead.

"_Told _you!" Elena said in that annoying manner one would only speak to a sibling.

"That was _not_ an answer, ma Cherie," Katherine rolled her eyes at her twin.

"We don't have time for your bickering!" Caroline ended their fight.

Caroline, Katherine and Elena were exiting the room with the prison cells when they encountered the most unwelcome of surprises. The sardonic man, Damon, who dared mock Klaus was there with a group of pirates. Pirates, Caroline had never seen before.

"I told you, if you didn't kill me, I'd make it worth your while," Damon smirked. "And here they are, three lovely ladies Klaus has been keeping all to himself!"

**KATHERINE'S POV: **

Katherine grabbed Elena to stop her from falling when she fainted.

"Parfait," Katherine muttered sarcastically. Nothing frightened pirates quite like _fainting. _

"Stay AWAY from us!" Caroline had raised her knife.

Katherine was suddenly overcome with relief that Caroline was the sort of prig who carried a knife. Before now, she'd always thought Caroline's precautionary knife was sheer paranoia as she herself never needed to use force to get herself out of tricky situations. However, this group of filthy, savage-looking pirates promised to be more than even Katherine could handle. And laying down with them?

Nay, even her survival instincts had their limits.

Katherine lay Elena as gently as she could down on the floor. The pirates roared with laughter at Caroline's threat. She stepped over Elena and scanned the area for a weapon. A plank was leaning against the wall. It was heavy and difficult to manage, but certainly better than nothing. She stared daggers at the pirates, weapon at the ready.

This only made them laugh harder.

A moment of sheer insanity must have gripped Katherine because she charged at the men, screaming at the top of her lungs as she went. Caroline followed her example. Katherine managed to hit one of the men with the plank before another grabbed it and a third grabbed _her _from behind. Caroline was circling one man who appeared to be enjoying himself while Damon looked on in amusement.

Klaus came charging down the stairs. Katherine was thrown to the floor. Klaus drew his sword and decapitated the man she had hit with the plank.

"DAMON! You dog, KILL THEM!" Klaus shouted and stabbed the man looming over Katherine.

_He's working his way to Caroline, _Katherine realised. _Caroline ma belle fille, aren't you naughty underneath that pure exterior. _

The man Caroline was fighting, ran his knife into her stomach. The rest of the fight was nothing more than a blur to Katherine. She saw Caroline fall. Scrambled to her as blood blossomed on her stomach like a rose.

She heard a roar. The man who had done the stabbing, also fell to the floor.

_Il est mort. _

A blood splattered Klaus kneeled next to Caroline, shouting at Damon to get Elijah.

Klaus threw off his jacket and pressed it against Caroline's wound.

Already blood was seeping through. Katherine tore apart her skirt, pushed Klaus's hands aside and replaced his 'bandages' with her own.

**Hope you liked this chapter and leave a review! But please don't kill me for the cliffhanger *hides under table*! I'm going on a bit of a hiatus because I've got exams coming up in December, but as soon as they are over with I promise to update again! You guys rock and I apologise for any errors in Katherine's French, but I figure since she isn't a native speaker she would make some mistakes! ;) **

**Check out my tumblr GemWritesThings, link on my profile. **

**Take care my lovely and very, very patient readers! **

**Faye **


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